BT membership (Page 2)

My membership had expired and I was torn about renewing it. I've been a paying member for several years and have enjoyed much of what BT has to offer; training plans, articles, online coaching, and a sometimes great online community of fellow triathletes. Lately though, I've seen a shift in the attitude and demeanor of the forums, particularly in COJ. Seems to be more snarkiness, divisiveness, and negativity than I can ever recall. It really gave me pause, but in the end the features available to paid members outweigh the negative vibe. For now.

I'm sure most don't give a red rats patootie but I figured I'd just put it out there. Ok, I'm off to start a flip turn thread. At least the TT arguments are more edifying that the COJ arguments.

If only ... where are such threads?  We need more of them! 

I do find it interesting how much time some actually do spend here online posting 10,000 times per week and 9,000 of them are in TAN or singles threads. Just a parting smart a$$ comment...being online 24/7 doesn't seem to be working for some of the singles so try unplugging for a few and get out and meet some people!

This is really rich being posted in a thread about BT becoming "snarky", "divisive" and "negative."

I'll weigh in later with what we do from a moderation standpoint, and why we do it.   

Preliminarily, though, that the topics have been brought up - tone, forum norms, causals - whether it's a BT thing, vs an internet/sign of the times thing, are all discussed at length amongst the site principals. I'm not sure there's a right answer, either. 

This coming from someone that's read almost every post in COJ for the last 6 years. God help me. 

I'll weigh in later with what we do from a moderation standpoint, and why we do it.   

Preliminarily, though, that the topics have been brought up - tone, forum norms, causals - whether it's a BT thing, vs an internet/sign of the times thing, are all discussed at length amongst the site principals. I'm not sure there's a right answer, either. 

This coming from someone that's read almost every post in COJ for the last 6 years. God help me. 

Day 3200, Moderator island

I don't know if I can go on. The discontent among the prisoners is rising, and the guards seem powerless to stop it. They listen to everything we say with startling regularity, yet can do nothing. Banishment, perhaps.... Will there be a riot? Too scary to contemplate. Making matters worse, there seems to be differing sets of rules for the two main populations. I actually heard an inmate grumbling because we have too much freedom. Can you imagine? This place is a twisted mockery of real life...I should be careful: as someone who's tasted the lash of banishment more than once by the dread Marmahamer, that ego-maniacal tyrant.... oh god. I feel his brutal eyes on me aga

Day 3200, Moderator island

I don't know if I can go on. The discontent among the prisoners is rising, and the guards seem powerless to stop it. They listen to everything we say with startling regularity, yet can do nothing. Banishment, perhaps.... Will there be a riot? Too scary to contemplate. Making matters worse, there seems to be differing sets of rules for the two main populations. I actually heard an inmate grumbling because we have too much freedom. Can you imagine? This place is a twisted mockery of real life...I should be careful: as someone who's tasted the lash of banishment more than once by the dread Marmahamer, that ego-maniacal tyrant.... oh god. I feel his brutal eyes on me aga

I'll weigh in later with what we do from a moderation standpoint, and why we do it.   

Preliminarily, though, that the topics have been brought up - tone, forum norms, causals - whether it's a BT thing, vs an internet/sign of the times thing, are all discussed at length amongst the site principals. I'm not sure there's a right answer, either. 

This coming from someone that's read almost every post in COJ for the last 6 years. God help me. 

Some site have an "Ignore Poster" feature where you can opt out of seeing posts from certain users. That would solve so many things here, IMO.

I took particular offense to this....

"Really? Nick "I guess I have to say it. I'm not going to be the Alabama coach." Saban makes you proud? That guy makes my skin crawl."

That snarkiness, divisiveness and negativity....gets me too 

I tend to agree with tuwood.  Even though I've only been here a few years, I think part of the issue is just a sign of the times and the polarity of the issues, being an election year, etc.  I enjoy some of the discussion, because it allows other views that I may not typically find in other places, especially since there are folks from all over the country on BT, and outside the US.

I can't comment on TAN, as I don't spend much time there.  Maybe I should.  Three page discussions about eating sound interesting...

Did it take you to long find that, or do you have it book marked?

Here's my point on the whole thing; I can be very opinionated and a bit snarky, but when I voiced my opinion that Nick Saban makes my skin crawl, it was my opinion about him. I did NOT take a direct and personal shot at those who like him. I did not make a blanket statement that I insisted was the only way to see things and then belittle and bully anyone who disagreed with me. I did not state that anyone else was wrong for their opinion or suggest that their argument that he was not a creep had no validity That's what I see as the difference in COJ of late.

Brilliant idea! That way you can ignore who you want and it would take the moderators out of the equation and they can stick to monitoring people misbehaving against the TOS of the site .. not offending the 1 or 2 or 300 people that are offended by the offending offender. 

I don't need a button, I do that on my own anyway.

But that does not keep them from commenting on your posts or being obnoxious in a thread you are posting in ... etc.  Blocking them would make them invisible and you invisible to them!  Just like on the Facebook!  It's a really lovely feature! 

But that does not keep them from commenting on your posts or being obnoxious in a thread you are posting in ... etc.  Blocking them would make them invisible and you invisible to them!  Just like on the Facebook!  It's a really lovely feature!